


We Can Work It Out

by tcwordsmith



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Miscommunication, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, Pre-Poly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tcwordsmith/pseuds/tcwordsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim doesn't see what the big deal is; Leonard doesn't see how Jim can't see it; Gaila wants (Jim) to see other people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Can Work It Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Etnoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etnoe/gifts).



“…Anyway, you know normally I wouldn’t ask you to get involved,” Gaila smiles wanly at the doctor, “But I’m not sure what else to do at this point.  He always…You…”  She pauses to search for a word.

The door to the office chimes as it slides open. “Bones! You gotta he-ey, Gaila, fancy seeing you here,” Jim skids to a stop just inside Leonard’s office and leans against the wall in a less than fluid motion.  The door beeps and he startles saying, “God, who made the doors so touchy?”

“Damn it Jim, doors are for knocking on—even the ones you have the code to,” Leonard leans an elbow on his desk and supports his head while rubbing his face, “You’re not even supposed to be done with the regenerator yet.  I’m in the middle of a conversation with Gaila. Go wait in the—”

Gaila interrupts, “It’s alright, Leonard, I should probably be getting back to the _Enterprise_ anyway.” She pats his hand, “Thank you, truly.  We’ll catch up later?”

Leonard sits back in his chair and smiles at Gaila, “Of course, lunch?  I’ll get some times to you and if any of them work you’ll let me know?”  Gaila nods as she heads for the door.

At the door, she smiles at Jim and stops to straighten his jacket, “You always have had…Interesting timing, haven’t you, Jim?”

“That’s me, James Interesting Timing Kirk,” Jim catches one of her hands as she pulls them away and busses her knuckles with his lips, “Dinner tonight? Save me from eating by myself again, please?”

“I’d love to, but I made plans with Uhura tonight.  Maybe tomorrow? Coffee?” She gently takes back her hand and heads down the hall without waiting for his confirmation.

Jim calls out the door, “Sounds great! I’ll…message you—she’s already gone, Bones.” He sighs and turns away from the door.

“Looks like she had somewhere to be, Jimbo,” Leonard’s trying to look anywhere but at Jim. He finds a PADD with chart notes he hasn’t signed off on to look at because that is Definitely Not Jim.

Wrinkling his nose at Leonard, Jim drops into the chair Gaila just vacated, “It’s like she doesn’t wanna—”

“Jim, I’m gonna stop you right there. I’m not your therapist, I’m your doctor.  Set up that appointment with Dr. Phillips if you need to discuss your relationship woes,” Leonard sends off the chart and closes down the PADD.

“I don’t wanna schedule an appointment with Dr. Phillips, I don’t need to see a _shrink_ ,” Jim crosses his arms and slumps in the chair.

Leonard checks his PADD and starts closing down his office for the evening. “Nobody’s been an actual head shrinker for the better part of two thousand years, Jim. Dr. Phillips comes highly recommended, she graduated top of her class too, you know. Besides, you’ve got what, at least two required sessions before you can as much as look at a captain’s chair again?”

Something unintelligible comes from Jim’s vicinity but Leonard focuses on turning off lights and straightening up the stack of PADDs he’ll have to leave with Nurse Chapel before he can head to the dorms for the evening.

“Booonesss, you’re fully qualified, I know you have the credentials to be a therapist! It’d be easy, I sit in your office for an hour, you say I’m fine, and I get back in the captain’s chair in no time!” Jim stands up as Leonard makes his way to the door.

At the door, Leonard turns and shifts his stack of PADDs, barely avoiding Jim smacking into him, “Be that as it may, I have no desire to cross that particular ethical line with or for you, so suck it up. And get out of my personal space. _Honestly_.” He stalks out of the office and keys the lock code, not bothering to make sure Jim is clear of the door before doing so.

Jim gets beeped at by the door again. He sticks his tongue out at the door as it closes without a sound and hurries to catch up to Leonard, since he’s the one with a legitimate badge and it’s rapidly approaching after hours at the hospital.

“Bones, c’mon, slow down. Okay, I shouldn’t have suggested it. But, hey,” he tries to cut Leonard off but ends up having to scramble to get into the turbolift before Leonard sends it to the ground floor.

“Hey what, Jim?” Leonard’s clipped tone doesn’t exactly invite conversation.  When Jim gives him a sad look, Leonard rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

“What—what did Gaila want?”

“I can’t tell you that, she was in my office. Doctor/ patient confidentiality applies to all conversations in my office during hours, you know that.”

They reach the ground floor before Jim can resume the conversation.  “Okay, if you can’t tell me what Gaila wanted, are you at least ready to talk about the five-year mission?  The refit is almost done and you know Starfleet wants the _Enterprise_ in the black almost immediately after she’s ready.”

Leonard narrows his expression and guides them down a back hallway, “It’s not a simple decision, Jim.  There are multiple factors at play here and I will not be rushed.” He holds up a hand as they reach the nurses’ station.  “Excuse me a moment—some of us have actual work to do,” he leaves Jim standing in the hall and steps up to the desk.

“Dr. McCoy! Did your shadow follow you to work for once?”  Christine Chapel leans over the counter and grins brightly.

Leonard returns the smile and sets his PADD on the counter, “Seems so, Nurse Chapel.”

“Oh, hello there Captain Kirk,” Christine waves at Jim, who’s staring down another hallway and misses the gesture.

“So what’d you bring me?” She asks, looking away as Jim finally looks over.

With a wave of his hand, Leonard’s daily sheet pops up on the PADD and he turns it to face her.  A guitar twang sounds as an alert pops up. “Sorry, damn thing won’t let me change the incoming message sound.  Anyway, it’s mostly discharges.  Saw a few people in the clinic—” he scrolls to the clinic hours.

“Oh, so that’s where you picked up your shadow then?”

“They’re got that damned free climb obstacle course in the south quad again.  All of my clinic visits were obstacle course injuries,” Leonard rolls his eyes and Christine tuts.

Jim wanders off down the hallway he’d been staring at.  Leonard and Christine finish up handing off patients and Leonard clocks out.  He changes out of his scrubs in the locker room and steels himself to track down Jim in the rabbit warren of hospital hallways.

He gets lucky as he’s exiting the locker room and sees Jim coming out of yet another hallway.

“There you are!” Jim is smiling widely and walking quickly.  “Chapel didn’t want to tell me where you’d gotten to.  Well, she said “Probably away from you” but I know she doesn’t _mean_ it.”  He claps a hand on Leonard’s shoulder and uses it to gently steer him toward an exit.  “Look, Bones, I know it’s a big commitment, and there _are_ a lot of deciding factors, but I also know you.”  Once outside, he lets go of Leonard’s shoulder and spreads his arms out, “You’re my Bones, and I _can_ wait.  I’ve waited for at least five things in my entire life. I know, in the end, you’ll be on that ship with us.”

Leonard sighs and rubs a hand over his face, “Jim. I’m tired, it’s been a long day and you broke your dominant hand would you _put it down it’s not done healin’._ ”  He reaches out and gently lowers Jim’s arm back to his side.  “You can’t know what I’m gonna decide to do because _I_ don’t know what I’m gonna decide to do.

Can we just…Can we just go to dinner? And actually not talk about the damned mission anymore? At least for a little while?” He stops on the sidewalk to wait for confirmation from Jim.

 “Of course, Bones. If you want to drop it, we can drop it,” Jim smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes but they continue to the cafeteria.

~

Jim sets his drink and PADD down across from Leonard in the professors’ mess.  “I swear to _God_ we were never as bad as some of these cadets,” he says, reaching across the table to swipe the apple off Leonard’s tray.  “They gotta be worse than we were, right?”  He asks before taking a bite out of the apple.

Leonard looks up from his own PADD and narrows his eyes at the apple, “I have it on good authority you’re worse than them, Jim.”  He adds another note to the chart on screen.  Midway through, he scowls as his message alert flashes on the screen.

“No freaking _way_ , Bones. I did all my work _and_ contributed to class discussions—I was a model student!” Jim ignores the alert on his own PADD.

“Y’might want to check that, Jim,” Leonard nods at the PADD while still scowling at his own.

“You _could_ just tell me what yours says,” Jim replies, leaning over the table, “It’s probably just more memos from Calahan about not leaving food in the lecture halls—did you know we weren’t supposed to do that?”  He takes another bite of his apple while trying to crane his neck to see Leonard’s PADD screen.

Leonard huffs and grabs the decimated apple, shoving his PADD at Jim, “Fine. Look.”  Before Jim can actually read the message, several reply alerts pop up in the corner of the screen.

“You have your alerts set to show on the top left?  I always took you for a bottom right, Bones,” Jim waggles his eyebrows, “Oh, woah, hey, _something’s_ up—even Scotty replied.  Scotty never replies.”  He finally reads the original message and Leonard catches the moment he gets to the important part.  “Shit, Bones,” he looks up from the screen, “Spock’s back early.”

“A whole damned two months early,” Leonard agrees, pulling the PADD out of Jim’s hands.  “And everyone’s been recalled to the Academy by _tomorrow_.  Damned Vulcan, always up to something,” he grumbles, adding his own reply to the growing queue.

Jim takes a deep breath and waves a hand over his own PADD, the screen readily lighting up with a host of messages.  His message about the delegation from New Vulcan’s early arrival isn’t _quite_ the cut and dried call back to base everyone else got, he can tell just by the attached file sizes.  Without opening anything, he blanks the screen again and stands up.  “Thanks for dinner, Bones,” he gives Leonard half a grin and leans over the table to noisily kiss his cheek.

“Goddamn it, Jim Kirk,” Leonard uses his free hand to push Jim’s face away, but pats his cheek lightly before letting go.  “Go be a professor or something.  I’ve got to go explain to some cadets why they’re not doctors yet.”

“Gotta go be a _captain_ , Bones.  But, hey, maybe we’ll discuss my attention seeking ass later, ‘kay?”  Jim winks and gives Leonard a suggestive once over with his eyes as Leonard stands.

Leonard rolls his eyes and takes his tray to the receiving line, muttering about test results as he goes.

Jim’s PADD alerts him to another message, this one is a reminder to get to the meeting detailed in the attachments he has yet to read.  “I’m going, I’m going,” he mutters, leaving the mess quickly.

~

The conference room doors open to reveal Spock and the New Vulcan delegation already seated across the conference table from members of the Admiralty.  Stepping into the room, Jim sees Gaila seated next to two empty chairs and makes his way to the one directly next to her.

“Hello, Officer,” he murmurs.

Gaila acknowledges Jim but keeps her eyes on her PADD, “Good evening, Captain, glad you could join us.”

“Hey, I was _always_ going to be here, Gaila!” Jim says, just barely keeping a grin off his face.

“I’m sure you had better offers,” she glances at him as she sets down her PADD.

“None as verdant and enticing as you though,” he switches their PADDs before she can stop him and starts reading the notes she has on screen.

“I’m going to need that to do my part in this meeting, Jim,” she reminds him after a minute.

Jim looks up from the schematics, “You’re breakin’ my _heart_ , Gaila. My actual heart is shattering as we speak.  You’re already working on a new flagship?”

“Those are the schematics for the _Enterprise_ , I know you can read them,” she replies lightly, taking the PADD from him while he’s distracted.

“Of course they are,” Jim says, pulling his own PADD back to him, “I just didn’t want there to be a new flagship, the _Enterprise_ is good enough for the whole fleet.”

Before Gaila responds, there’s a stirring over by the New Vulcan delegation. Spock has ended his conversation and notices Jim’s arrival.  “If you will excuse me,” he says to the delegation leader as he gathers his PADD and stands.  The leader nods and Spock makes his way to the empty chair on Jim’s other side.

“Greetings, Captain, Officer,” Spock says as he approaches both of them.  The look on his face could almost be interpreted as a smile, if Jim squints hard enough.

Jim can’t school his own expression quite as well, and Gaila seems torn between being glad to see Spock and maintaining solidarity with Uhura.  “Commander Spock, it’s good to see you!”  He shifts as if to move his chair over, but learns the chairs are attached to the floor.

Spock sets down his PADD and replies, “We saw one another via communications two nights ago, Captain.  But, I concur, it is good to see you as well.”

“ _Jim_ ,” Gaila knocks into his arm with her shoulder, “You _promised_ me. For Nyota.”

“I _know_ ,” he says, “But it’s _Spock_.  He’s still my First Officer—Uhura would understand I had to.”  To Spock, he says, “Of course! Your delegation even got _Scotty_ to respond to an official communication.  I think that’s the first time since he started overhauling the _Enterprise_ that we haven’t had to send someone to get a response from him.”  He fidgets with his PADD before turning his attention to the viewscreen on the far wall.

~

After the meeting, Sock leaves with the delegation in order to assist in getting them settled into their quarters.  Jim stops Gaila outside the conference room with a light touch.

“I thought you had plans with Uhura tonight?” He says, leaning against the wall.

Gaila slips her PADD into her uniform pocket, “We had plans, but then there was a hastily put together meeting about a mission of mercy to New Vulcan’s fledgling colony, maybe you remember being there?”

“Of course I—Gaila, are…Is everything okay? With, uh. With us?” Jim shifts uncomfortably but meets her gaze as he asks.

She bites her lip and considers his question before saying, “I think you should consider pursuing a mutually beneficial, sexual liaison with Leonard.”

Jim raises his eyebrows comically, “I, you want me to sleep with Bones? Wait, you didn’t want to get dinner with me earlier because _you want me to sleep with Bones?_ ”

“I’m concerned that we’re stagnating into a default monogamous relationship. And also I had prior plans with Nyota,” Gaila says, “We agreed our interactions would be casual and friendly, and mutually beneficial.  But, lately, you’ve only interacted in this way with me.

Could we continue on to the lift? I pushed back my plans for this meeting, but Nyota is waiting.”

“Sure, sure,” Jim pushes off the wall and falls into step beside Gaila. “You know, I _like_ sleeping with you, Gaila, and going out to eat and to the park or whatever event is going on,” he nudges her with his shoulder.

Gaila smiles but he misses it, “I like doing those things with you too, Jim.  Just…Not only you. I don’t want you to miss out on the liaisons you could be having out of some misplaced, and frankly out of character, monogamy.”

Jim chews on this idea for a minute or two while they head toward the turbolift. “So,” he starts as they enter the lift, “Is your desire for him to sleep with me what you were talking to Bones about today?”

“Leonard didn’t tell you what we discussed?” Gaila asks as the lift heads for the main level.

“Nope, he cited doctor/ patient confidentiality like a boring person,” Jim rolls his eyes.

The lift stops before they reach their intended floor and an ensign hurries to get on board.  The ensign halts the lift and exclaims breathlessly, “Captain Kirk! You left the meeting before I could divert you to the admiral!”

“The admiral?” Jim asks.

“Yes! He needs to speak with you, now preferably. Sir,” the ensign says.

“Well, if he needs to see me right now,” Jim gives Gaila a smile and gestures for the ensign to lead the way, “Lead on, Ensign, wouldn’t want to keep him waiting. Officer, we’ll…Continue this conversation later?”

“Of course, Captain,” Gaila replies as Jim and the ensign disembark from the lift.

~

“You sent for me, sir?” Jim says as the ensign leaves him in the admiral’s office.

The admiral looks up from his PADD, “Ah, Ensign Jordon managed to track you down. Come in, Captain Kirk, come in.” He finds what he’s looking for on the PADD and gestures for Jim to sit down.

“Hadn’t even managed to leave the building yet, your ensign’s quick on their feet,” Jim admits, sitting quickly.

“Yes, yes they are,” the admiral replies distractedly as he reads something on the device.  After a moment he looks at Jim again, “So, I see you’re still on medical leave, with dispensation for your lectures.”

Jim’s expression freezes but he nods, “Yes sir, that’s correct.”

“Typically we adhere to the recommendations of our medical staff,” the admiral says, “However, in light of the request for aid from the New Vulcan colony exceptions have had to be made.”  He passes the PADD to Jim.  “This is your reinstatement to active duty with Starfleet, and your commission to captain the mission to New Vulcan.”

Jim tries to conceal his eagerness as he takes the commission from the admiral, “Thank you, sir.  I had hoped I would be allowed to accompany my crew.”

The admiral stands and moves to look out of his office window, “Yes, well. As you know, the delegation specifically requested you and Commander Spock.”

“They did, yes. I also know Starfleet isn’t in the habit of complying with requests without good reason,” Jim replies, studiously looking at the PADD and not at the admiral’s back.

“While there are still those in the Admiralty that have reason for caution about your fitness for duty, they are no longer in the majority.

However, I must impress upon you the necessity to hit this one out of the park,” the admiral doesn’t turn away from his window to face Jim, but catches the captain’s eye in the reflection.

The newly re-minted captain stands and tucks the PADD with his commission and orders into his uniform pocket, “Understood, sir.”

The admiral turns and nods tacitly, “Dismissed then, Captain.  I and Starfleet wish you success on your mission.”

“My crew is the best, sir. I have no doubts about our ability to successfully complete this mission,” Jim replies, a reserved version of his usual smile flashes across his face. “Thank you, sir,” he says as he turns to leave the office.

He gets out of the building before an incoming message sounds on his communicator.  He flips it open, “Heya, Bones.  What’s shakin’?”

“Where the hell are you?  Did you see this message?” Leonard’s anger is almost palpable over the communicator.

“I’ve been in meetings until just now, Bones, but I’m headed back to the dorm,” Jim says, “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can fix it.” The other end of the communication goes dead without another word.

~

“Did you know about this?” Leonard asks as soon as Jim gets back to the dormitory. “Not only was the entire crew for the _Enterprise_ recalled to Starfleet, but we’ve been _ordered_ on this ‘emergency mission.’ One, I might add, we can’t even use the _Enterprise_ to complete, seeing as she’s still in her dock with half the warp core missing.”

Jim takes the PADD and gives it a cursory glance, “I mean, yeah. Our crew was on the _Enterprise_ because we’re the best, or you all were, I was just along for the ride. They need the best for this—New Vulcan has to have the new environment manipulation system or the whole habitat will fail.”  He hands the device back to Leonard and drops onto the couch.

“So did Gaila tell you she wanted us to bone?” he tries for nonchalant and falls short of the mark.

Leonard still drops the PaDD in his hands, “I—she, what?”  Jim watches as Leonard’s face begins to flush.

“Yeah…I,” Jim moves so there’s room on the couch for Leonard but the doctor isn’t budging, “Oh come on, Bones, not _right now_. We haven’t even talked about it yet.”

“She told me she wasn’t sure how to approach you about concerns she had, but she didn’t mention sleeping with you,” Leonard says, sitting on the other end of the couch.

Jim stretches, “She thinks we’re stagnating into one-sided monogamy.  And that it’s my fault for not having more liaisons.  But I’ve been _busy_ , Bones.”

“You went through the whole Academy in three years, a year ahead of schedule, never sharing the same bed two nights in a row, Jim,” Leonard says dryly.

“Categorically untrue, we passed out on the same bed all weekend second year,” Jim counters.

“Fine, never having the same sexual partner two nights in a row then,” Leonard rolls his eyes. “In any case, I highly doubt being busy is what’s decreased your appetites.”

“My appetites?”

“You’re sleeping with just one person, you don’t go out but maybe once a week, and you had an apple for dinner tonight. And I know it’s not the first non-meal today,” Leonard scowls at Jim.

Jim pastes on a smirk he doesn’t feel, “So what’s the diagnosis, doc?”

“Nuh uh, Jim, I said I’m stayin’ out of it. Go see Dr. Phillips,” Leonard pushes off the couch but Jim catches his wrist lightly before he goes. Leonard looks at Jim’s hand and pulls away, “And I’m not sleeping with you just because Gaila wants you to be freer with your bed partners.”

Jim stands up and gets in Leonard’s space, “What if I said it wasn’t about what Gaila wants?”

Leonard stares at Jim for several long minutes before visibly deflating, “Just,” he shakes his head, “I don’t have time for this, Jim.  I gotta find a way to get off that mission.”

“What?” Jim steps back, surprised, “What do you mean ‘off that mission’? That’s _my mission_ and you’re _my CMO_.”

“You can’t even go—they reinstated you didn’t they? Goddamn, slimy, self-serving—” Leonard cuts himself short, glaring at his PADD on the floor.

“Of course they did, can’t have the best crew without the best captain,” Jim puffs out his chest.

Leonard trains his gaze on Jim, “ _I_ ordered you on medical leave until further notice, Jim. I’m your primary physician.  You’re nowhere near ready to go into _space_ on a shuttle, never mind traveling all the way to New damn Vulcan.  You _died_ , remember?” He’s nearly shouting at the end.

“You brought me back!” Jim’s stance goes rigid, “I remember you bringing me _back_ , Bones.”

Leonard’s laugh was ugly, “Khan’s blood brought you back, Jim. And we’re fresh out.”

“Is _that_ what this is about? Bones,” Jim relaxes and takes a step toward Leonard, “Bones it’s not gonna happen again.”

“You can’t know that. It very well _could_ happen again, and it could stick next time,” Leonard retorts.

Jim swallows the lump in his throat, “Yeah, well. I’d rather have my CMO with me then, just…Just in case.”

“I can’t have you die on my watch again, Jim.  If you wanna take me up just to have me watch you die, well…You’ll need someone else for that.” Leonard storms off and Jim hears the door to his room open and close.

~

The next two weeks pass in a blur while the crew of the _Enterprise_ rushes to find people to do the jobs they’ve been doing for the last several months, or puts projects on temporary stasis.  Jim and Leonard pass in the night at the dormitory, and Gaila has holed herself up in the _Enterprise_ bay, working every spare moment on the refit.

“Bones, we’re going out! I couldn’t get Gaila out of the ship bay, but I _know_ you’re off rounds tonight,” Jim says, breezing into the dormitory after his last lecture for the day. “Plus, I saw you signed off on my reinstatement.”

“Jesus, Jim,” Leonard clutches the towel around his waist more tightly and hurriedly steps back into the bathroom, “You have shit timing. Of course I signed off on your reinstatement, didn’t have much choice with the Admiralty being set on the _Enterprise_ crew for this mission.”

Jim smirks and drops onto the couch in full view of the bathroom, “Oh, I dunno, I think I have impeccable timing.  C’mon, Bones. Get out and get dressed.  We’ve got a bar to drink dry.”

Leonard rests his head against the closed door, “I have absolutely no desire to go out tonight, Jim, I’ve worked two doubles and this is the first chance I’ve had to sleep in my bed instead of on a cot in the staff lounge.”

“Bones, Bones, Bones. We’re young, the night’s young, the bar down the street is having half-price night in honor of our imminent voyage.  Let’s just, forget all the bullshit and cut loose with a boys’ night out. Or, just have _one_ drink and come right back here to your comfy dorm bed,” Jim takes a breath to redouble his efforts just as Leonard steps out of the bathroom again, this time with his communicator in hand and his towel still barely secured around his hips.  Jim’s breath catches in his throat, and his arguments scatter.

“Jesus, Jim. Fine, we’ll go out for _one_ drink. Just let me get my damn clothes on,” Leonard looks flushed as he heads for his room, pointedly not looking at Jim.

Jim calls after him, “Don’t get decent on account of me, Bones.”

Leonard comes out a few minutes later, dressed in a soft looking button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a well worn pair of jeans. “I hear Starfleet frowns on wearing your uniform when you’re looking to get drunk, Jim,” he says, giving Jim a once over.

“Can’t go looking more dressed up than my date, I suppose,” Jim grins and darts into his room, dressing in a flurry of discarded shirts and shoes.

He finishes and meets Leonard back in the common area.  Leonard decides not to touch the phrase ‘my date’ with a ten-foot pole.

“Shall we?” Jim says, waving the door open with a flourish.  Gaila stands on the other side of the door, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh good, I came as soon as I got your message, Leonard,” Gaila smiles warmly at both men.

Jim looks at Leonard and then back at Gaila, “Message? Bones, you invited Gaila to boys’ night? I think you fundamentally misunderstand the exercise.”

“Evening, Miss Gaila. Glad you could join us,” Leonard steps out into the hall and waits for Jim. “I invited Gaila to have a drink with us. Just the three of us. She was surprisingly willing to join us.”

Jim steps into the hall and kisses Gaila on the cheek. “Were you, then?”

“Leonard seemed to think there could be a…Mutually beneficial arrangement here,” Gaila replies, kissing Jim and looping her arm through Leonard’s.

“I thought we could talk about it over that drink you were so adamant to have,” Leonard says, offering his other arm to Jim.

Jim threads his arm through Leonard’s and grins, “Sounds like a plan, Bones.”

Gaila squeezes Leonard’s arm with her own arm and stretches to kiss him on the cheek, “I’m sure we can work something out, boys.”

With that, Jim leads the way to the bar.  They’ve got a long night ahead of them.


End file.
